The invention relates to contacts for plug housings. More specifically, the invention relates to a contact having a locking element with a cover that prevents damage to a seal in a plug housing during insertion and removal of the contact.
Plug housings are commonly provided with seals that protect contacts that are received in the plug housings from unwanted moisture. The conventional plug housing is already equipped with the seal before insertion of the contact. The seal is provided with openings that allow the contact to pass through the seal and into a receiving region of the plug housing. The contact is guided through the opening of the seal during production of the plug housing. Known contacts have an inclined guide face with which the seal is raised or enlarged during insertion of the contact to prevent tearing or widening of the seal. One such plug housing having a seal is taught by DE 195 33 723 A1. A conventional contact is taught by Utility Model DE 200 13 570 U1.
If, however, the contact needs to be removed from the plug housing, the contact has to be withdrawn through the opening of the seal. The contact can not always be withdrawn from the plug housing without damaging the seal, because the contact is provided with a locking element which secures the contact in the receiving region of the housing that is constructed counter to the direction of withdraw. To prevent damage to the seal during withdraw, it is known to provide a guide element constructed in the form of a guide plate on the contact, as shown in the Utility Model DE 200 13 570 U1. The guide plate is arranged laterally with respect to the locking element and causes a one-sided raising of the seal. The locking element, however, has a relatively sharp edge region in the direction of withdraw owing to its thinly constructed material. Thus, despite the arrangement of the guide plate, withdrawal of the contact from the plug housing without a risk of damage to the seal is not always possible.
It is therefore desirable to develop a contact that that can be withdrawn from a plug housing without risk of damage to a seal provided in the plug housing.
The invention relates to a contact having a termination section for connection to an electrical conductor. A contact section for contacting a complementary contact. A locking element having a guide face with a locking side for maintaining the contact in a housing and a cover that covers the locking side to form a closed surface.